Melbost - 20/02/05

Today is Sunday, i.e. no public transport. This means I'm restricted to flapping about around town. Walked out of Island Road towards the filling station at the top. Had been told that they served frozen food, but it was snacks only. Then up Sandwick Road for half a mile and into the road towards Steinish. After crossing the road towards Melbost into the dead-end for Steinish. This is only a small village on the edge of Broadbay. No-one ever ventures out onto the sands of Broad Bay, because of the dangers of 'sinking sand' and strong tidal currents. I walked right along the shoreline, to the other side of the village. Returned to the cattle market and headed out on a farm road, which ended just outside Sandwick's North Street. It was possible to carry straight ahead, but it quickly turned into wading through mud. Not too much of a drag. Things got a bit confusing at the end of the road, where there was a gate saying "Emergency vehicles access - keep clear". The gate was locked, but nothing to say I couldn't walk through, which I did. Found myself outside the airport's fuel-bunkers, which were well cordoned off by high fences. The road did carry on for nearly half a mile, until it stopped. Fifty yards from the airport runway. And nothing to stop me venturing onto it. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So much for improved security post 9/11, for god's sake! Entering an airport runway is obviously a) madness, b) suicidal and c) illegal, so I kept off. Cut through a field onto the Braighe Road towards Point. At Melbost, crossed the road after letting that bike past at 110 mph and went to the 20ft high shingle banks which line the shore. Proceeded down the shoreline in a westerly direction, until I reached the proximity of a jetty. The weather today is a lot better than yesterday, little wind if still quite cold and fairly bright if cloudy. Can see right down the coast towards Kebock Head, the Shiants and the snowy Cuillins - 50 miles away to the south. Fantastic. After dabbling about near the jetty and a nearby peninsula proceeded further west, sometimes right on the floodline and on boulders. At the Iolaire memorial at 5.10, but still quite light. Cut through some fields towards Lower Sandwick and to Newton along the community footpath. And, young guys on pushbikes: that excludes bicycles. Returned to B&B in Newton at 5.45, just as the streetlights came on